shows us all that she’s accomplished in the last few hours. Her pride and joy is her new craft room, which is currently a complete disaster. “Zach wanted me to have my own space for creating. But don’t worry, sis. When you spend the night, you can take the other spare bedroom.”
“Hey,” Desmond says. “That’s my room.”
Monica’s eyes shine. “Well, then maybe you two can share. Y’all are best friends now, right?”
Desmond chuckles while I feel a look of horror painting my face. I want to strangle my sister.
“Not quite,” I say, narrowing my eyes in Desmond’s direction. “But it looks like I’m starting work today, so…” I ignore the huge smile Desmond throws me and continue. “We’re just here to grab some stuff and then pick out what I want the movers to bring over later.”
Monica looks between us and nods. “Okay. Well, your suitcases are in the living room, and the guys will drop the bed and couch off when they’re done here. If you want anything else, just let them know. Whatever stays on the truck will go to storage.”
With that, Desmond leads me down the stairs, carrying my suitcases. I hop on the moving truck and label a few select items with the Post-its Monica handed me, and then we’re back at the car.
“What’s the deal with you and your sister anyway?” Desmond asks as he loads my suitcases into his small back seat. He manages to squeeze them in somehow. “You two are nothing alike.”
“Let me guess. She’s the nice one, and I’m the bitch?” I pull open the passenger door and wait for him to walk around to his side.
He makes a face at me. “I never said that. She just seems more… outgoing and happy, while you’re…”
I cringe as he tries to find the right word to describe my contrast to my sister.
“Not,” he finally says. Then he pulls open his door and sinks into his seat. I follow suit with a sigh.
It wasn’t the first time someone had called us out on our stark differences, especially since being in Seattle. Thankfully, I never take offense to it. “We’ve always been that way. Every experience we’ve faced has shaped us differently, I guess. But I think her moving here alone forced her to mature quickly. She’s grown stronger and more independent throughout the years, and I’ve just become more hardened to the world, less forgiving.”
Desmond nods, making me wonder if he truly does understand. “Do you have brothers or sisters?”
“Uh, no,” he says simply. “Zach’s the closest thing I’ll ever have to a brother. We’re pretty opposite too. He’s always been the super successful one, and I…” He shakes his head, telling me he’s not going to finish his thought.
“You don’t think you’re successful?”
“Nah, it’s not like that. I just feel like I’ll always be paying for some crime or another. If it’s not for being a total jackass as a kid, it’s being a shitty son now, or being a boss whose employee wants to skip out on him. I’m in a perpetual cycle of trying to do better, give back, but I’ll never escape my past.”
My heart is beating fast as I listen to him speak. Desmond gives the air of arrogance like no one I’ve ever met. I never would have thought his thoughts would be filled with such darkness.
“That’s a dangerous outlook, Desmond.”
“Yeah, well, you asked.”
I have so many questions, but there’s one that is already rolling off my tongue before I can prioritize them all. “How could you possibly be a shitty son now? The way you made it sound, your dad gets himself into trouble quite a bit.”
He shrugs as he speaks. “In lots of ways.” He squeezes the steering wheel and blows out a breath. “I could have stayed in Dallas to continue taking care of him. Instead I moved here, built a business, and started a different life. Sure, I visit him every few months, but is that enough?”
“Yes, Desmond. That is enough. Your father isn’t your responsibility. His mistakes aren’t your burdens.”
“No, but then whose responsibility is he? He has no wife, no other children. He has doctors and psychologists, and police officers. My dad isn’t just an addict, Maggie. He’s an addict with severe ASD.”
“ASD?” I’m racking my brain, but for the life of me, I have no idea what that stands for.
“Autism spectrum disorder. He’s considered high functioning, but his ASD combined with his alcohol problem is not ideal. Social situations cause